Category: Pervasive Computing

Just take a read at this NYT article entitled “New iPhone Pricing Model Is a Step Backward for Consumers” and it explains exactly why I am not going to be in the market for the new iPhone 2.0. Apparently, Apple and AT&T have closed off the biggest loophole that existed that enabled iPhone 1.0 users to ability to jailbreak their iPhones and do with them as they pleased. What exactly was that loophole? They won’t let you walk out of the stores with the new iPhone 2.0 without signing up for the new 2 YR contract! That’s right. Loophole closed.

What does iPhone 2.0 offer that warrants an upgrade? GPS, 3G, and slightly larger storage. That simply is NOT enough to warrant the extra $30 / month I’d have to shell out to get the new iPhone 2.0. I currently pay $55 incl. taxes and fees for my iPhone 1.0 plan, and I thought that was pretty hefty to begin with. This new plan simply is highway robbery! Apple and AT&T, no thanks, but I’m sticking with iPhone 1.0.

Lately, I have found that I rarely have a need to use desktop software for any of my computing needs. These are the online-based services that I have found to be indispensable in my everyday life to organize, communicate, and stay informed.

Google Calendar – Anything that relates to time/date/place/to-dos, it goes in my Google Calendar. I can access this from practically anywhere.

Google Reader – This is my online RSS Newsreader. With Google Gears offline support, I can catchup with all the latest news feeds even when I am on a plane.

Del.icio.us Bookmarks – I find that I have not bookmarked a page in IE or Firefox in ages! Instead, all my bookmarks are on this handy service.

MP3tunes – All my iTunes music safely stored and synced online with MP3tunes.com. I can stream my music from the Internet. This service doesn’t store and sync my iTunes videos and movies, so I use other means to backup and sync these files.

.Mac – I use the iDisk service to keep any storage of files and folders that I need to access from anywhere. The one other feature that I do like is the Photo sharing capabilities.

SlingBox – Ok, its not really an online service, but its how I watch TV now. Place-shifting means I can watch TV shows streamed online from any single Slingbox location. Place one SlingBox hardware in your parent’s home in Canada and you can catch international TV right on your computer. Quality is not the greatest, as it depends a lot on the upload speeds of the SlingBox locations you are getting the streams from.

Google Docs – This service can almost replace your traditional Microsoft Office apps. Unfortunately, it is not as speedy as having a desktop app. Speed and offline portability are the biggest factors in me not completely switching over to using online-based office apps.

Google Alerts – This is how I read the latest news. I give search terms that I find most interesting, and everyday they will send me the top links to news stories and blog entries that match my keywords.

Kayak – I give it my top flight destinations and the maximum price I am willing to pay, and I get a daily report of any matching deals.

Twitter – This service is basically a mashup of fan site / blog / and alerting service. You can alert all your followers via SMS text, IM, and email with “what you are doing now”. I am still a little weary of letting everyone know what I am doing now, but I can see how it can be used to alert a large number of people at once, with whatever information you wish to share. This is most useful for people with a mobile lifestyle, who may not get a chance to post their thoughts to a blog.